Love Languages
by nojamhands
Summary: Louisa needs to learn more Greek and Spiros wants to learn more English


"The ball is in your court," Louisa said as she looked up at Spiros.

He returned her gaze and thought for a moment. "This means…I must take the next steps? It is up to me?"

Louisa cheered and applauded lightly. "Well done! Yes, 'the ball is in your court' generally means it's up to you to make the next move."

Spiros looked pleased with himself. He and Louisa had agreed to give each other language lessons. Though Spiros had a good grasp on the English language, some of its more informal aspects, like idioms and figures of speech, still eluded him. As for Louisa, despite having lived in Greece for a few years, her Greek left much to be desired.

When she lamented to Spiros over how embarrassingly bad her Greek was, he asked her why she did not get a tutor.

"It's far too embarrassing," she scoffed. "My stupidity would spread across Corfu town by noon and I could never show my face in the market again."

"But what if you approached someone who did not wish to embarrass you?"

She gave him a puzzled look. "Who do you have in mind?"

Spiros did a little bow and grinned at her. "The best English-Greek translator in all of Corfu, of course!"

Louisa giggled. "You can't possibly have time to help me with my Greek if you're going to make a living. No, I can't let you do another thing just for me while you get nothing in return."

Spiros pondered this for a moment. "Okay. You will teach me English."

"Don't be silly! You speak English far better than I speak Greek."

Spiros shook his head. "No, I know a lot, but I do not know all. Like when you say things like 'a bear with a sore head.' I do not know these phrases. You can teach them to me. Then I will be even more entertaining to our foreign customers."

Louisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course, that's what you're lacking. More wit and charm. That will certainly impress the foreigners."

Spiros smirked at her. "You think I am charming?"

Louisa scoffed. "Anyway, if you wish to learn idioms and the like in exchange for helping me with my Greek, I am happy to oblige."

"I will see you tomorrow then, Mrs. Durrells. With…all the bells?"

"With bells on," she corrected with a smile.

So their lessons began. Louisa was determined to be more fluent in basic Greek and worked very diligently during their sessions, while Spiros was much more nonchalant.

"You're so much better at this than I am," Louisa complained. "You've picked up so many phrases and I'm still trying to form articulate sentences."

"This is because you are still learning the language, _agapité mou. _But I am simply learning the complexities of one I already know."

Louisa let out a "hmph!" of frustration in response. Then she took a deep breath and recomposed herself. "Right. _Agapité mou_. I don't believe we've done that one yet."

Spiros looked away and cleared his throat unnecessarily. "Yes, we have not gotten there yet. But do not worry. We will get there. How about…_lypiménos katákarda_?"

"_Lypiménos katákarda_," Louisa repeated. "_Lypiménos katákarda…_heartbroken?"

"Yes!" Spiros exclaimed. "That is right,_ polyagapiméni mou!_ Heartbroken. It is funny, no? For us to be so excited about heartbreak."

Louisa laughed. "Yes, it's definitely a first for me."

They stared at one another for a moment, caught in the intensity of their gaze.

Louisa looked away first, fiddling with the notebook she kept her phrases in. "Let's try some figures of speech."

The moment passed, but it still lingered between them.

* * *

"The devil's advocate."

"Someone who is arguing the other side, even if they are not on it. _Tha íthela tría psária."_

"_Tha íthela tría psária…_I would like three fish. Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

"Do not plan in advance for things that may not happen. _Póso kostízei? Eínai akrivó?"_

"_Póso kostízei? Eínai akrivó? _How much does it cost? Is it expensive? Feeling under the weather."

"You are feeling ill. _Tha boroúsa na écho lígo krýo neró, parakaló?_"

"_Tha boroúsa na écho lígo krýo neró, parakaló…._hm…could I get some cold water, please? How about—"

"Could I?" Spiros interrupted, giving her a wink.

Louisa swatted at him playfully. "You cad! _Óchi mia spítha efprépeias!" _she called over her shoulder as she went into the kitchen.

"Not a spark of decency?"

"Means you've no manners," Louisa informed him cheekily as she set their glasses on the table.

Spiros smiled at her. "Your Greek is improving, _agapiména mou_. If you can use your English phrases in Greek words, you are doing well."

"Not well enough, apparently. I don't know what _agapiména mou_ means."

Spiros took a long drink of his water. "We will get there, _glykiá mou_."

* * *

"_Tha íthela éna boukáli lefkó krasí. Kai éna blok tyrioú kai éna kaláthi me froúta, parakaló." _

"You would like a bottle of white wine. And a block of cheese and a basket of fruit?"

Louisa clapped delightedly. "That's exactly what I wanted! Did I say it correctly?"

Spiros nodded. "Yes. Well done, _agapité mou._ Learning Greek is a piece of cake, no?"

Louisa's grin broadened. "In my case I'm not sure it's _easy,_ but it's much simpler when we apply it practically."

"Yes, I knew the food and wine would help you. There is a method to my madness."

Louisa gasped in mock offense. "Is that a comment on my character?"

Spiros gave her a sweet smile. "Your love of Greek food and drink is one of the many things I love about you, _agapité mou._"

Louisa blushed and tried not to think on it too much.

_About you_. _Loves _about_ you, _she reminded herself.

* * *

"Spiros, may I ask something of you?"

"Of course, _glykiá mou_."

It had been several weeks since their language lessons had begun. They both had made wonderful progress, Louisa especially, but there was one area of conversation in which she still felt she was lacking.

"Can you teach me…" she hesitated, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "Can you teach me how to talk…to a man? In Greek?"

Spiros was confused. "But I am a man? And Greek?"

"Yes, well…I mean a man who…well…"

Louisa blushed furiously and wouldn't meet his eyes.

And he understood her meaning.

He swallowed thickly and pushed the burning jealously in his chest deep, deep down. "Of course. What would you like to say?"

* * *

"_Écho téssera paidiá kai eímai chíra. Écho zísei edó dýo chrónia," _Louisa practiced. "I have four children and I am a widow. I have lived here for two years."

She sat alone at her table, reciting and writing what she was planning to say. She had done a little work outside of their lessons and was eager to share with Spiros what she had learned.

When the two met later that day for their lesson, Louisa noticed Spiros's dim spirits.

"_Eísai kalá, o fílos mou?_ Is everything alright?"

Spiros gave her a false smile. "Of course, _agapiména mou. _What will we start with today?"

"Could we just converse and see what happens?"

"_Nai fysiká_, _glykiá mou. Opos epithymía."_

"_Sas efcharistó. Eísai kalós dáskalos, Spiros." _

"It is easy to be a good teacher when your student is so eager to learn. _Parakaló, agapité mou." _

_"Tha mou peis didáxeis aftá ta lógia?" _

_"_I will teach them to you when you are ready, _agápi mou. Min anisycheís_. When the time is right, you will know. _Ypoméno_, Louisa."

The sound of her name on his tongue shocked her into silence, but only for a moment. She was terribly afraid of embarrassing him and scaring him away. So she just smiled and continued like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "_Opos thélete_."

She paused, taking a moment to steel her nerves. "_Écho téssera paidiá kai eímai chíra. Eíste pantreménoi me paidiá?"_

Spiros reminded himself they were just practicing speaking to other people. "Yes. I mean, no. I was married. My wife and I separated several months ago. We were both becoming very unhappy. We had become _agnóstous_ to one another. Very different from the person we married. It was for the best. A blessing in disguise."

Louisa tried to hide her delight. She had heard that Spiros and his wife were no longer together, but refused to believe town gossip until she heard it straight from the horse's mouth.

"_Kai ta paidiá sas?"_

"My children live with their mother just a few miles away. They are young and need someone to be at home with them. But they spend many weekends and evenings with me. Even though we were sad our marriage was ended, Dimitra and I still are friendly and want what is best for them."

"V_lépo. Aftó eínai ypérocho_. _Pistévete óti tha xanapantrefteíte?"_

Spiros tried to hide his surprise at the question. He reminded himself again that this was just practice. He cleared his throat. "I do not know. I cannot say for sure one way or the other. I will cross that bridge when I come to it, I suppose."

Louisa feared Spiros could hear her heart pounding in her chest. It felt as if it would burst forth at any moment. "_O? Den échete paratirísei kanénan sto nisí?"_

Spiros shook his head. "No. I have not met anyone yet."

He had thought this was the right answer, but though she hid it well, he could see traces of dismay lining Louisa's eyes.

_Surely not…_he thought to himself.

"Actually," he corrected, "I may have."

She perked up immediately. "_O? Pes mou gia aftín."_

His heart was thrumming in his chest. "She is…hard to describe in English. May I speak Greek with you?"

She nodded.

"_Aftí eínai san to ilio kai aftí eínai ómorfo. Aftí eínai ta ílio kai ta astéria mou. Ta paidiá tis eínai monadiká allá ypérocha. Eínai exairetikí mitéra. Eínai éxypni. Eínai asteía. Aftí eínai ypérocho péra apó ta lógia."_

Spiros looked directly at Louisa before continuing. "_Me kánis na thélo na yíno kalíteros ánthropos. Skéftomai synechós. Íthela na sas po gia tóso polý kairó."_

Louisa immediately noticed his shift in nouns. He initially said, "she" but changed to, "you."

But was it intentional? Was she understanding correctly?

Spiros could see her puzzling out his grammar. He was so proud of her progress.

"_S' agapó."_

Her words brought him crashing back to reality.

"What?"

When he met her eyes, the confusion had vanished. Replaced by…no. It was not possible.

He didn't reply, so she continued. " You said…she is like the sun and she is beautiful. She is my sun and my stars. Her children are unique but wonderful. She is an excellent mother. She is smart. She is funny. She is wonderful beyond words. But then you changed. Instead of she, you used…you. You make me want to be a better man. I'm thinking of you constantly. I wanted to tell you for so long."

Louisa reached across the table and placed her hands on top of his. "_Kai egó_, _agápi mou. Agapiména mou. Agapité mou. S' agapó." _

Spiros felt tears pricking his eyes. "You forgot _glykiá mou_."

Louisa ignored him. "Me too, my love. My darling. My dear. I love you."

"My sweetheart," Spiros added.

Utter devotion. That's what he had seen in her eyes. And he knew it was reflected in his own.

_Alithiní agápi. _


End file.
